Appointment of Head Teacher for New Inverness Community School

An experienced head teacher, who was awarded the OBE during the summer for her services to education and Gaelic, has been appointed to the post of head teacher of the new Inshes Primary School, Inverness, which will open in August next year. Mrs Ishbel Gilroy is currently head teacher at Central Primary School, Inverness - a post she has held since 1994. Mrs Gilroy will take up her new post in February, next year.

From the Isle of Lewis, Mrs Gilroy began her teaching career at Avoch Primary School in 1976. She gained a post graduate qualification in special educational needs teaching and for four years was education development officer in the advisory service, providing advice Highland-wide on special educational needs' issues.

As head teacher at Central Primary School, Mrs Gilroy oversaw both English and Gaelic Medium classes. She has also spearheaded a number of successful initiatives for the council.

Mrs Gilroy said: "I am greatly looking forward to the unique opportunity of establishing this exciting project in a vibrant new community. The school is a state of the art community resource, which I'm sure will be the focus of community life."

Inshes Primary School will draw pupils from Drakies, Cradlehall and Hilton Primary Schools, freeing space at these schools and meeting the demand expected from the rapidly growing local community. Costing £6.6 million, it will feature 10 classrooms; two nursery rooms, specialist facilities for pupils with additional support needs, a multi-agency meeting room as well a public library and community sports facilities, including a full-size football pitch and sports hall with bleacher seating.

Inshes Primary School is one of 11 schools being built in a second education PPP scheme, valued at £134 million. New secondary schools are being built at Dingwall Academy, Kinlochleven High School, Portree High School and Millburn Academy, Inverness. Also in the programme is the construction of a new school for pupils with additional support needs in Inverness; a new purpose built primary school for Gaelic pupils at Inverness, as well as new primary schools at Kinlochleven, Resolis (Cullicudden and Newhall amalgamation), Culbokie and Cawdor.

The 11 schools are being built by Alpha Schools (Highland) Ltd, a consortium of Morrison PLC and Noble Fund Managers.